KENT, Ohio - The Northern Illinois University baseball team could not hold off a late charge from the Kent State Golden Flashes Sunday afternoon at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium, dropping the final game of this weekend's Mid-American Conference series 16-10.
                                  
The Huskies scored in each of the first five innings, taking a 10-6 lead in the fifth. The Golden Flashes scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, getting a two-run home run from Michael McNamara and a Josh Johnson sacrifice fly to once again get within a run at 10-9. Jacob Draeger (Johnston, Iowa/Des Moines Area CC) kept Kent State from tying the game, striking out Connor Ashby and getting Jackson to pop out to end the inning.
 
Kent State (11-3, 3-0 MAC) took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Jackson and Collin Mathews drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Reagan Klawiter (Verona, Wis./Madison College) entered the game from the NIU bullpen and gave up a single to Aidan Longwell, which scored Jackson to tie the game 10-10. Justin Miknis put the Golden Flashes ahead with a sacrifice fly that brought in Mathews and put Kent State up 11-10. With one out and the bases loaded Johnson hit a single up the middle to score two runs and extend the Golden Flashes' lead to 13-10. Josh Mrozek then hit a pinch-hit three-run home run over the right field fence to cap a seven-run inning that put Kent State up 16-10. Mitchell Smith retired the Huskies in order in the ninth to lock up the win and a series sweep.
 
"This was a tough loss today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "This group cares deeply about each other and the success of the team. There is a lot to be said for that. We have an opportunity this week to take that and catapult us in the right direction."
 
Just as it did Saturday, NIU (3-12, 0-3 MAC) got off to a fast start Sunday. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) led off with a single to right field off of Kent State starting pitcher Eric Chalus. Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech) followed with a double to left center to bring in Erato and put the Huskies on the board. After a groundout advanced Demetral to third, Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) knocked a double to the gap in right centerfield to bring in the NIU shortstop and make the score 2-0. Chalus got a flyout for the second out, but an error by third baseman Kyle Jackson on a ball hit by Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill./Oakton CC) allowed Summerhill to score and put NIU up 3-0.
 
Kent State tied the game in the bottom of the first. Jackson and Collin Mathews led off with back-to-back singles. Aidan Longwell then hit a double down the left field line to score Jackson and make the score 3-1. A Brandon McPherson (Chicago, Ill./Wabash Valley College) wild pitch brought in Mathews for the Golden Flashes' second run. Justin Miknis hit a ground ball to Smart at first base to score Longwell and tie the game 3-3.
 
The Huskies took back the lead with a run in the second and scored three runs in the top of the third. With two on and one out, Smart cleared the bases with a triple to put NIU ahead 6-3. After a walk to Parker Shupe (Johnston, Iowa/Kirkwood CC), Christian Seegers (Schaumburg, Ill./Creighton) put down a squeeze bunt that scored Smart and made the score 7-3. Kent State responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to get back within a run at 7-6.
 
NIU extended its lead in the fourth as an RBI groundout from Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto College) and a Summerhill sacrifice fly put the Huskies up by three, 9-6. Erato delivered an RBI single with two outs in the top of the fifth, his third hit of the day, to give NIU a 10-6 lead.
 
The Huskies had nine hits in the game and drew four walks. Erato was 3-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored. Summerhill and Smart each had two hits and drove in two runs. Miknis, Johnson and Mrozek each drove in three runs for Kent State. Relief pitcher Jordan Kolenda earned the win for the Golden Flashes, throwing three scoreless innings.
 
NIU is on the road on Wednesday, March 15 to take on the Purdue Boilermakers. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT.
 
--NIU--